巴斯克维尔的猎犬 华生医生的第二份报告（18）

 

　　"I will come," said I.

　　“我也去。” 我说道。

　　"Then get your revolver and put on your boots. The sooner we start the better, as the fellowmay put out his light and be off."

　　“那么您就把左轮手枪带着， 穿上高筒皮鞋。 我们愈早出发愈好， 那家伙可能会吹灭蜡烛跑掉的。”

　　In five minutes we were outside the door, starting upon our expedition. We hurried throughthe dark shrubbery, amid the dull moaning of the autumn wind and the rustle of the falling leaves.

　　The night air was heavy with the smell of damp and decay. Now and again the moon peeped outfor an instant, but clouds were driving over the face of the sky, and just as we came out on themoor a thin rain began to fall. The light still burned steadily in front.

　　不到五分钟我们就出了门， 开始远征了 ， 我们在秋风低吟和落叶沙沙声中匆忙地穿过了黑暗的灌木丛。夜晚的空气里带着浓厚的潮湿和腐朽的气味。月亮不时地由云隙里探头下望，云朵在空中奔驰而过。 我们刚刚走到沼地上的时候， 就开始下起细雨来了。 那烛光却仍旧在前面稳定地照耀着。

　　"Are you armed?" I asked.

　　“您带了武器吗？ ” 我问道。

　　"I have a hunting-crop."

　　“我有一条猎鞭。”

　　"We must close in on him rapidly, for he is said to be a desperate fellow. We shall take him bysurprise and have him at our mercy before he can resist."“咱们必须很快地向他冲过去， 因为据说他是个不要命的家伙。 咱们得出其不意地抓住他， 在他能够进行抵抗之前就得让他就范。”

　　"I say, Watson," said the baronet, "what would Holmes say to this? How about that hour ofdarkness in which the power of evil is exalted?"“我说， 华生， ” 准男爵说道，“这样干法福尔摩斯会有什么意见呢？ 在这样的黑夜、 罪恶嚣张的时候。”

　　As if in answer to his words there rose suddenly out of the vast gloom of the moor thatstrange cry which I had already heard upon the borders of the great Grimpen Mire. It came withthe wind through the silence of the night, a long, deep mutter then a rising howl, and then the sadmoan in which it died away. Again and again it sounded, the whole air throbbing with it, strident,wild, and menacing. The baronet caught my sleeve and his face glimmered white through thedarkness.

　　就象回答他的话似的， 广大而阴惨的沼地里忽然发出了 一阵奇怪的吼声， 就是我在大格林盆泥潭边缘上曾经听见过的那样。声音乘风穿过了黑暗的夜空， 先是一声长而深沉的低鸣，然后是一阵高声的怒吼， 再又是一声凄惨的呻吟， 然后就消失了。 声音一阵阵地发了出来，刺耳、 狂野而又吓人， 整个空间都为之悸动起来。 准男爵抓住了我的袖子， 他的脸在黑暗中变得惨白。